FOIA violations cost F-I Health Department $1,000

The non-profit watchdog group known as Edgar County Watchdogs will be paid a little over $1,000 dollars in a settlement with the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department. The matter is over a violation of the Freedom of Information Act.

The agreement settles two lawsuits filed by the watchdog group over the health agency's denial of requests for public records.

The settlement also acknowledges that two officials violated the Freedom of Information Act.

In Iroquois County Court (Thurs), Judge Ronald Gerts approved the settlement, and the lawsuits were dismissed. The lawsuits had been seeking a civil penalty of between $2,500 and $5,000 authorized by law.

Named as defendants in the suit were former health department administrator Doug Corbett and the department's FOIA Director Julie Clark.

The records Kirk Allen and John Kraft of the Edgar County Watchdogs had requested were provided after their lawsuits were filed. Clark and Corbett have not publicly acknowledged a FOIA violation, but the board of health has done so on their behalf.